Unlike many dentists who go straight from school into practice, Dr. Van Tuyl entered dentistry as a second career, graduating from dental school at age 39. After working in several professional roles, he realized he wanted a career where he could directly help people and see the results of his work immediately. Dentistry offered exactly that—relieving pain, restoring smiles, and improving patients’ lives in real time.

Now practicing in Evergreen, Colorado, near the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, Dr. Van Tuyl especially enjoys treating patients who come in with urgent dental pain. Being able to quickly diagnose the problem and provide relief the same day is one of the most rewarding parts of his work.

He also believes that one of the keys to helping nervous patients feel comfortable is simple communication. Patients typically want three questions answered: Will it hurt? How much will it cost? And how long will it take? When dentists clearly explain those things, anxiety often melts away.

Dr. Van Tuyl’s career has included many different practice models, from solo practice ownership to working in large dental organizations. Ultimately, he found that the Comfort Dental partnership model provided the right balance—allowing dentists to maintain autonomy while sharing responsibilities, resources, and support with partners.

For patients, that model translates into something just as important: access to care. Dr. Van Tuyl says one of the biggest problems in dentistry today is that many practices are booked out for weeks or even months. His philosophy is different—patients in pain should be seen quickly and helped right away.

Outside the office, Dr. Van Tuyl enjoys exploring the mountains and deserts of Colorado and Utah with his family, hiking and enjoying the outdoors.

But at the heart of his career is still the same motivation that brought him into dentistry years ago: making a real difference in people’s lives, one patient at a time.